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LAT 11/23/11: Alabama city drops immigration law case against German executive

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Rick Kissell

Alabama city drops immigration law case against German executive by Stephen Ceasar Nation Now The Los Angeles Times 11/23/11 Authorities in Alabama dropped

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, Nov 23, 2011

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Alabama city drops immigration law case against German executive

by Stephen Ceasar

"Nation Now"

The Los Angeles Times

11/23/11

Authorities in Alabama dropped charges Wednesday against a German
Mercedes-Benz executive who was arrested under the state's stringent new
illegal-immigration law after a police officer caught him driving
without required identification.

Last week, a Tuscaloosa police officer pulled over Detlev Hager, 46,
for driving a rental Kia with no license plates. After Hager was only
able to produce German identification documents, an unacceptable form of
identification under the new law, he was arrested, Police Chief Steve
Anderson said.

The Alabama law, considered the nation's strictest, includes a
provision requiring police conducting traffic stops to check the
residency status of people they suspect of being illegal immigrants.

An associate of Hager's was able to retrieve his passport and a
German driver's license, which led to executive being released soon
after the arrest. Hager then presented the documents in municipal court
and the charges were dropped, Anderson said Wednesday.

Prior to the law going into effect, drivers caught without a driver's
license were written a citation and let go, Anderson said. Now,
officers must arrest a person if they lack proper identification,
turning a routine and quick matter into a more time-consuming one.

"It's going to take up a lot of the limited resources we have to dedicate to problems in the city," Anderson said.

Critics of the law contend that Hager's arrest is indicative of the
measure's unintended consequences and could discourage foreign
businesses from locating in the state.

Last month, a federal appeals court temporarily blocked portions of
the law, including provisions requiring public schools to check the
immigration status of students and allowing authorities to file
misdemeanor charges against immigrants who are caught without documents
proving their legal status.

However, the court let several provisions stand, including the
requirement concerning traffic stops and another that makes it a felony
for illegal immigrants to enter into "business transactions" with the
state, including applying for driver's or business licenses.

The judge in the case issued the ruling after the Justice Department
requested that the law be blocked until the court could consider it
fully. Federal lawyers contended, as they have when challenging similar
laws in other states, that the legislation is preempted by federal
immigration statutes.